The Second Rebellion
by WantedNerd
Summary: When Peridot's ship appeared in the darkening sky of Beach City, the Crystal Gems sprung into action immediately, failing to notice a stray escape pod hurtling towards the countryside near the DeMayo barn. This story is about the two gems who were escaping that fateful night and their interactions with Steven Universe soon after.
1. I - Earth Mission

**Chapter One: Earth Mission**

The hallway to Blue Diamond's court was long and empty, almost frightening for the elite gem marching through. Her escort was the only thing keeping her from turning and fleeing Homeworld, fleeing this dreadfully dull and heartless place. Only a few months ago she would've turned herself in for such thought, but ever since her Earth mission, Sodalite had despised the hierarchy the diamonds put in place. Spying on the Crystal Gems was a quick and easy mission, hardly worth remembering until you threw humans into the equation. After only a few hours of watching The Steven explore "Beach City," she'd fallen in love with the concept of freedom. Going over all these thoughts made her feel guilty, like Earth was some sort of crime, but her escort had felt the same. Ametrine was Sodalite's assistant and guard, never leaving her side if she could help it. As the two gems marched towards a new mission, Sodalite's mind drifted back to Earth and the conversation they'd shared about freedom only a few weeks ago.

"Ametrine."

"Yes, my crystal?" the gem said with a smirk.

"Have you noticed… the lifeforms on this planet? Humans?"

"Of course. They're quite loud and seemingly more advanced than other species on Earth. What about them?"

"I've seen them demonstrate qualities no gem has seen in intelligent life before. Freedom to make decisions, kindness for those who don't serve a purpose…"

"Are you becoming fond of them?"

Sodalite pondered on whether or not she should tell Ametrine how much she'd grown to love humans. It was a huge risk. If the young assistant reported her, she'd surely be shattered or at least reassigned, never to see or hear of Earth again. But Ametrine wasn't the kind of gem to tattle. She'd had Sodalite cover for her rule-breaking so many times, she practically owed her. Finally, she spoke: "Yes. I'm very fond of them. Their freedom… I want that for gems. Why must we destroy this life? Why must the diamonds tear apart the Earth with the Cluster?"

Ametrine grinned. "Soda… Are you telling me that you're…" here Ametrine fake-gasped, "breaking a RULE?"

Sodalite rolled her eyes at her sarcastic companion before muttering, "Yes, I suppose I am."

They sat in silence in the small ship they'd been assigned that morning. Only 12 hours later, here they were, ready to betray their Homeworld, the place that made them, provided for them, and where they were expected to serve for all their life.

Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted her daydream. "Sodalite, Facet-6 Cut-2FM; and Ametrine, Facet-5 Cut-6XK; you have performed well on your previous Earth mission. Your superiors have informed me of all the information you gathered from the Crystal Gems and we have decided that you will continue your work on Earth. I'm sending a Peridot, Jasper, Pearl, and Lapis Lazuli there tomorrow, and you'll join them on their ship. Once you reach the atmosphere of Earth you will exit the ship via escape pod and set up a base a hundred units from the Temple in order to gather more information on what they've been doing these past centuries. We will inform you when it's time to evacuate for the Cluster. Understand?"

To Sodalite's left, Ametrine was furiously finishing her notes on their mission. They replied quickly, "Yes, my diamond," bowed, and exited the court.

"Soda. This is our chance," Ametrine whispered. Her eyes glowed with excitement as she rambled breathlessly, "We can disable the cluster! Save the humans! We could even warn the Crystal Gems ahead of time and join their force."

"Shhhh, Ame," Sodalite snapped, glancing around them. "Wait until we get back to my base."

Ametrine blushed and continued walking with her superior, her eyes occasionally widening at another thought of what could be waiting for them on Earth.

Sodalite stood still in front of the scanner at her base, watching a glowing light examine her gem. The door in front of her rose and Ametrine rushed in ahead of her, hurrying to prepare the mission forms for them to join Peridot's ship. Sodalite, on the other hand, decided to relax for a moment. She locked the door again and sat on the cold floor of their base, wondering if what Ametrine wanted to do was possible. Pulling her information screen out of her gem, she looked up the status of the Cluster using a password she wasn't supposed to have. Being a spy had its perks.

"Says here that the Cluster is supposed to form any time within a few months to a year."

From across the small room, Ametrine turned and grinned. "I can work with that. Could you do the paperwork? I want to figure this out."

Normally an assistant that asked a superior to do her work would be replaced, but Sodalite didn't mind. Ametrine was so charming and friendly, she could probably manipulate an agate into betraying her diamond. And that's no easy feat.

"If we set up the base quickly than we could report in saying we've seen more gems and never report again. That could buy us some time…"

Sodalite checked the mission forms Ametrine had sent her via information screen, scanning the long text for what kind of base they were using. "Blue is providing us with a base printer. That'll make the job nice and easy."

"Base printer?"

"New tech. All we have to do is push a button and wait a few hours."

"So we're doing it?"

Sodalite's hands were shaking, but she couldn't let Ametrine see that. "Yeah. We're going to join the Crystal Gems."


	2. II - The Message

**Chapter 2: The Message**

Ametrine and Sodalite hadn't rested since they'd gotten their mission, instead opting to make plans for their rebellion. Now they had everything they needed but time. But somehow, Ametrine had a plan for that too, though.

"Okay, Soda. My distraction will give you about an hour to get a message to the Crystal Gems. Be quick."

"Thanks. But, um, what is your distraction?"

"You leave that to me."

So Sodalite was left alone in the base as Ametrine rushed out the door towards the docking bay. She had roughly an hour to get Blue Diamond's monitors off her information screen and send a transcription to the Wailing Stone left on Earth. Thankfully, she had gotten a chance to speak with the crew who would also be aboard Peridot's ship, and the Lapis Lazuli had seemed a little wistful when talking about Earth. They might be able to get her on the rebels' side. The Jasper and Peridot, on the other hand, were ready to crush the gems interfering with the Cluster, though Jasper seemed a little more focused on Rose Quartz. And, of course, she hadn't been able to speak with the Pearl, though she had found out she belonged to Jasper, a gift from Pink Diamond.

"Focus, Soda," she whispered to herself. The task at hand would make or break their revolt. Without the Crystal Gems, she and Ametrine might be able to survive on their own, but what would happen when they met humans? Or the diamonds sent gems to check on them? Or the Cluster emerged?

"Focus. You can do this," she repeated, tense. "Drive those negative thoughts out of your head. They don't matter. They're only possibilities, and what's a possibility without a Sapphire?"

There was a Sapphire on Earth, fused with a Ruby. They were called Garnet, the leader of the Crystal Gems. Fusion… Maybe, when all this was over, she could fuse with Ametrine. They'd be inseparable.

"But none of that is going to happen unless you focus!" she cried. All her anxieties about rebelling swarmed around her, scaring her and sending tears down her face, causing her to fall to the ground. What was she thinking? She couldn't rebel! She couldn't do this on her own…

"But you're never alone, Soda. Ametrine is here with you, and the Crystal Gems will be too if you can just send this message," she whispered to herself. The pain of anxiety faded, replaced by the thought of belonging somewhere. Sodalite stood up and wiped her tears away, and before long the transmission was sent. The Wailing Stone was activated, with Blue Diamond none the wiser.

"I'm here!" a cheerful voice whispered. Sodalite spun on her heel.

"Ame?"

"Soda! It worked! I told Peridot that we couldn't board immediately because we had to collect extra supplies from our Morganite. She believed me! But we have to get on the ship in just a few minutes. Did you send it?"

"I did."

Ametrine grinned and bounced on her toes. "I knew you could do it! You're amazing. Now, come on, let's get on the ship before Peridot comes looking for us-"

"Thanks, Ame. Just let me get something real quick." Sodalite strolled through their small base one last time, making her way to a shelf in the back where she kept an artifact from Earth. Putting her hands around the little object made her feel calmer, and that's why she kept it. She'd found it in the Temple, in a containment box of sorts, sitting atop a pile of soft red and yellow objects. It was the only thing she could grab before she heard the warp pad activate, signaling her to leave. Upon further inspection, it seemed to be shaped for a foot, not unlike the uniforms quartzes wore, but it ended right above the ankle. Strange indeed.

"SODA! Peridot's coming!"

Sodalite put the object in her gem and ran to the exit of the base, only to bump into Ametrine, who was saluting their new mission leader. Sodalite quickly followed suit. It was slightly embarrassing to be seen saluting a Peridot, but both gems knew it wouldn't matter soon.

"Peridot, Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG; and your new commander, reporting in," the gem said smugly. "Our journey to Earth will take approximately five hours: one hour away from homeworld, three in warp, and one to Earth. Do you have your gear?"

Sodalite stepped forward. "Sodalite, Facet-6 Cut-2FM. Nice to see you again, commander. We're all set for the mission. I assume Blue Diamond has briefed you?"

"Of course. Now, our ship and your escape pod are both online, so if you would follow me to the docking bay, we can finally board." Peridot sounded annoyed, as if it were their fault they'd received an order to pick up more supplies. Of course, it was their fault, since Ametrine had made up the order, but Peridot didn't know that.

As the gems began to walk toward the Warp Hub, Ametrine cleared her throat. "Excuse me, commander, but I've forgotten to introduce myself-"

"Ametrine, Facet-5 Cut-6XK. Quartz soldier assigned to guard and assist Sodalite in her missions. Prone to… troublemaking."

Ametrine couldn't help but grin at that last comment. She was proud of her reputation.

"Commander, are Jasper and Lapis already boarded?" Sodalite asked politely. She knew all their talking was getting on Peridot's nerves, and it was kind of amusing. She wouldn't normally do this, but she'd be a rebel in just a few hours anyway.

"They're already aboard the ship, but I must warn you, the Lapis Lazuli was trapped on Earth for thousands of years and was only recently freed. We don't know if she's loyal to Homeworld yet, so Blue Diamond asks that we don't speak with her. She's being contained in a prison cell for now. Understand?"

Sodalite tried not to make a face. Lapis was a gem, just like everyone else aboard the ship. She'd only just been freed, and they were trapping her again? "Yes, commander."

They walked on in silence, Ametrine and Sodalite growing more upset with Homeworld by the minute. The second rebellion began here.


	3. III - Lapis Lazuli

**Chapter Three: Lapis Lazuli**

After four hours aboard Peridot's Hand ship, Ametrine and Sodalite were more than a little uneasy. There was nothing to reassure them that the Crystal Gems had gotten their warning, and Jasper had spent the last hour recalling her days back in the war. Just as Ametrine was beginning to tune out the raspy sound of her voice, Peridot came over the loudspeaker with an announcement.

"Attention, crewmates, we've reached the end of our warp and will be on a course towards Earth for another hour. Mission Beta, your escape pod is ready and will launch in thirty minutes."

Sodalite and Ametrine excused themselves from a sullen-looking Jasper and exited the passenger room, heading to the storage area next door. As they grabbed the gear from a containment unit, Sodalite couldn't help but think about the Lapis Lazuli who was hidden somewhere nearby.

"Ame, can you handle all this gear? I have something I want to do."

Ametrine glanced at Sodalite's expressionless face and decided against prying. "Sure, Suds, just hurry up. I'll be mad if I have to load all this myself."

"You got it," the gem said, jogging away. She had no idea where Lapis was jailed, but her best guess was the thumb, as that's the direction Jasper came from when they took off. She stealthily crept back past the passenger room, through the lobby, all the way to the entrance of the thumb, where long hallways of destabilizer cells stretched in a seemingly never-ending maze. Of course, there was no need to keep Lapis at the end of the hallway, and Sodalite found her only a few units down.

"Excuse me, would you happen to be Peridot's informant?"

The blue gem turned sharply from the wall she'd been leaning against and studied Sodalite. "Oh, it's just you." Lapis relaxed, slouching against the cell again and closing her eyes. "What do you want."

She decided to ignore the gem's attitude. After all, no gem stuck in a mirror for thousands of years would be eager to meet someone who trapped her again. "Lapis, I'd like to ask you about… Earth."

"That's all I'm good for, spewing information. Go ahead."

"What do you know about the Crystal Gems?"

"I was trapped in a mirror and kept in Pearl's gem. I didn't really see much until Steven let me out only a few weeks ago. You probably know more than me, you spied on them."

"How do you feel about the Crystal Gems?"

Lapis eyed Sodalite suspiciously, trying to piece together what this gem wanted her to say. What did she want to know? "They kept me in a mirror when they saw my broken gem. I don't really have a high opinion of them…"

"But?"

"Steven," Lapis whispered, lost in thought. "He freed me and healed my gem. He's not like them, and I don't mean by the fact he's half-human. He defied his leader just to help me. I…" She stopped and looked at Sodalite. "Why do you need to know all of this?"

"I want as much intel on the Crystal Gems' activities as I can get," she lied. "You've been very helpful. Thank you."

"No prob, Bob," Lapis muttered. She seemed to be thinking.

Sodalite suddenly had an idea. A crazy idea, one that she'd rather ignore than act upon, but it could free this trapped gem. "Lapis Lazuli," she hesitated before continuing, "I am going to tell you what my assistant and I are actually doing when we return to Earth."

The normally aloof gem turned to her, eyes wide. "Sodalite. What are you planning?"

"We're going to rebel. You can come with us if you wish, join the Crystal Gems. Or see Steven again. Whatever you wish."

"No! You can't turn against them! Jasper and Peridot are so much stronger than us. The diamonds themselves could send someone for us, this ship is proof of that. We'd be in danger!"

"And you don't think you could handle it, with that terrifyingly strong power you have?"

Lapis tried to hide the fact that she was blushing and muttered, "I poof easily."

"That's why the rest of the Crystal Gems would be there to watch your back, protect you. What do you say?" Sodalite pressed her hand to the panel next to Lapis's cell and the destabilizer screen disappeared. "Come with us."

She crept out of her cell and glanced around, trying to be sure it wasn't a trap. "I… The Diamonds. We can't fight them."

"Who says they're coming?"

Lapis Lazuli was silent for a minute. "No. I'm staying here. Jasper and Peridot will come after you two if I'm not here."

Sodalite looked down, disappointed. "Are… you sure? We- I could use your help. Like, really bad. And wait," she said, eyes wide, "You've seen how the fusion can fight, right? She has a chance."

"Please, Sodalite, I'm not going to be one of them… I don't want to be a Homeworld gem or a Crystal Gem anymore. I want to be free."

"Come with us. You don't have to be a Crystal Gem, you can be a gem exploring Earth, free to see everything the planet has in store and more. You can easily fly to space if you get bored. You could do whatever you want, Lapis."

The idea was appealing. "O-okay. But we have to hurry. And don't expect me to stick around and fight when Jasper finds us."

"You won't regret this."


	4. IV: The Future

**Chapter 4: The Future**

"Lapis Lazuli? Really?"

Ametrine and Sodalite were having a hushed conversation outside their escape pod while Lapis sat inside. Ametrine could hardly believe that she'd been swayed to the rebel side but was glad for the extra muscle. Sodalite wasn't exactly a fighting gem, and as much as she hated to admit it, Ametrine herself wasn't any match against Jasper. Not that Lapis was either, but the Crystal Gems would be a huge help. Assuming they'd gotten the message.

"Yes, really. Now, please go inform Peridot that we have permission to take Lapis with us or something. Make up a lie, you're pretty great at that," Sodalite said with a wink.

"Yes, my crystal," Ametrine said, playing along with her companion's superior behavior. Sodalite never cared about her status unless she was around an important gem, and it had almost become a running joke between them. She watched Sodalite enter the escape pod and turned on her heel to find Peridot. She only had ten or so minutes until they were scheduled to leave, but she wasn't worried. The control room was close by.

As she speed-walked through the green and yellow hallway, a sudden thought hit her: this might be her last time looking at gem tech. She stopped in her tracks before continuing slower, taking these minutes to absorb the last of Homeworld she'd see. There were a few things she'd miss… The tech, her fellow Ametrines, maybe even the base. No, not the base. It was so dull in comparison to Earth.

As her mind wandered, she almost passed the entrance to the control room but caught herself when she heard Peridot's voice:

"Yes, my Morganite, we are thirty-eight minutes to Earth. I will report back to you once we have landed and taken care of the Cluster… And our, ah, other matter."

Ametrine assumed she was talking about the Crystal Gems. Well, now or never. "Commander."

"Thank you for your time, Morganite." She spun around in her chair to look at Ametrine. "What are you doing? Your escape pod takes off automatically in seven minutes."

"I need to inform you that Blue Diamond herself decided Lapis Lazuli, a member of her own court, not Yellow's, would be better off assigned to our mission."

"What?!" Peridot exclaimed, clearly upset with this last-minute change. "I didn't receive any update!"

"Commander Peridot, we don't have the time. I must get back to the escape pod. You said it yourself, it takes off automatically."

Peridot growled. "Fine, but if I find out you're lying, you'll be in serious trouble."

" _Oh my stars, she's going to send Jasper,"_ Ametrine thought. She held back her protests and exited the control room, sprinting back to the escape pod.

"Sooooodalite!"

The door opened and two gems poked their heads out at Ametrine. "Get in, we have three minutes!" Sodalite exclaimed. Lapis returned her attention to the controls.

"Soda- Lapis-" Ametrine recounted her conversation with Peridot as the launch sequence began. They were all quiet for a moment.

"If the door weren't locked, I would be back in my cell by now," Lapis muttered under her breath, but Ametrine could hear.

Suddenly, a cold automated voice pierced their ears and sent Sodalite a foot in the air. "T minus 10 seconds until takeoff."

"Jeez, Suds," Ametrine giggled, watching her companion blush profusely. Even Lapis was trying not to laugh, letting out a gasp of air and averting her eyes. The atmosphere in the tiny ship became a bit more relaxed, but there was still an underlying layer of worry that surrounded all three rebels. The silence grew and grew, making everything awkward until the escape pod finally took off.

"Three… Two… One. Liftoff." Came the robotic voice.

"Yay…" Ametrine said quietly. The group of gems sat in silence, watching Earth creep closer until it filled the whole view from the window.

Not wanting to think about their situation, Ametrine made up a question on the spot. "What's everyone thinking about?"

Lapis tensed, but Sodalite was to the point. "Fusion. Garnet."

"Us?" Ametrine asked, unconvinced.

"If you're the one suggesting it," she mumbled, embarrassed.

"Don't be shy, I bet Garnet could help us. It could be nice. You have good ideas."

"Thanks, Ame."

They turned towards Lapis questioningly. "What about you?"

Lapis's cheeks burned, but she replied quite calmly. "I'm wondering if Steven will be mad. If I should even visit him."

"Of course you should!" Sodalite began. "We observed Steven Universe for some time, and he's the most merciful and forgiving gem I've ever seen."

"Besides, what'd you even do to him?"

Lapis looked away. "I kind of… Nevermind. I'll go see him. But don't be surprised if he's mad."

Ametrine and Sodalite exchanged a glance, concerned for this gem who seemed so conflicted about her past and future.

"Lapis," said Ametrine gently, "are you alright?"

At the worst time possible, a buzzer on the control panel began buzzing and glowing, signaling their descent to Earth.

"We're here," Sodalite said bitterly, her voice coated with anxiety.

And together, the trio stared out the ship's one window as a grassy field hurtled towards them, stretching into endless countryside.


End file.
